Dawn Of A New Age
by Vergil1989 the Crossover King
Summary: Upon the discovery of capsules containing two ancient robotic warriors, they awaken to an age of space exploration and discovery beyond imagination. But this brave new galaxy will fear and hate them. One woman takes these two lost souls under her wing and gives them a new purpose in life. And a new mission; terminate the most destructive Mavericks the galaxy has ever seen.


**By: Vergil1989 the Crossover King and Archer83. **

**IMPORTANT NOTE;** _Vergil1989; I haven't played anything related to the Elf Wars of the series, so for the sake of not confusing myself or my partner who doesn't have as much knowledge about this epic series as I do, it never happened. This is going to be AU anyway given the content lol, so expect changes where appropriate. Anyway, I hope you are still able to enjoy._

**Disclaimer; **We own nothing related to Mass Effect or Megaman.

**Chapter 1; **Walking Through the Past.

**Earth, Local Cluster**

**2183 CE**

"Have fun on Luna, Shepard? Nothing like getting your ass handed to you by a training sim. I hear we ran out of most of the medi-gel, and half of our ammo blocks, because of that little spanking you guys took out there." Flight Lieutenant Jeff 'Joker' Moreau couldn't avoid jumping in his seat when he heard a loud clatter behind him, and turned to see Jennifer Shepard removing some of her gear right then and there. "Um….did I just die and go to heaven, or are you really stripping down here in the cockpit?"

"No Joker, I'm just making sure I get this armor off before I start beating the hell out of you. I might not kill you that way. The key word there is _might_." Shepard was in no mood for Joker's usual arrogant and sarcastic behavior, this being her first chance to so much as stand still in the last five hours. Every other member of her ground team had rotated in and out of battle during the engagement against a rogue, and very resourceful, AI that had seized control of an Alliance training base's defenses. She however, had led them the entire time and was now feeling every bruise and strained muscle for her effort.

"Uh...then this might be a bad time to tell you that we got a message from Earth right before you stepped through the airlock." Joker nervously replied, wondering if she was being serious or not as she stood behind his chair in the undersuit that came with most armors of their day and age.

"What the Hell could they want now?" Jennifer sighed heavily, knowing she wasn't going to get any rest today if the Alliance brass had anything to say about it. "Just stay right there Joker, I'm not finished with you yet." Before the pilot could begin to worry, she had walked away, the angry look in her brown eyes disappearing as she looked to the rest of her crew who had stumbled ahead to the med bay for some much needed treatment. In quick measured strides, Shepard rounded the galaxy map in the CIC and set up to the main console.

A familiar grizzled face was there to meet her as his holographic steely gaze met hers. "You look like shit Commander. I take it the mission was a success?"

"It was, but we took a Hell of a beating in the process. Still, everyone made it back, that's the important part. I'm guessing you're not calling just to congratulate me sir?" As much as she wanted a chance to relax at least for a few hours, Jennifer knew better than to say anything to Hackett. She was an Alliance marine first and foremost.

"Afraid not Commander. I just received word of some anomalous energy readings coming from a location high in the Arctic Circle. Since you're the closest ship at the moment, I'm dispatching you to check it out and report anything you find. Welcome home Shepard. Hackett out." Without another word, the hologram disappeared, leaving a tired Shepard scratching her head as to what she'd find out in the middle of literally nowhere.

_What could possibly be out in the damn North Pole that has Hackett and the Alliance so interested? Guess I'll find out soon enough. But, first things first._

Jeff had started to wonder if maybe, _just maybe_, he would be spared the righteous wrath of one Lieutenant Commander Jennifer Shepard. After returning minutes later, she had grabbed her discarded gear and abruptly ordered him to take the _Normandy _into a synchronous orbit above Earth before marching off. It turned out that today was most definitely _not_ his day as a refreshed looking Shepard walked back into the cockpit fifteen minutes later and dumped something in his lap.

He took one look at the razor and visibly blanched at the hard glare she threw his way. "Okay, I was an ass alright? I...apologize." Jennifer just folded her arms in front of her chest as her brown eyes flicked from the contents of his lap back to Joker's horrified expression. "Please Shepard, I was just screwing around. Isn't this a bit..._extreme_?"

"You better get started Joker. If those cheeks aren't as smooth as a baby's ass before I get back...well let me put it this way. The beard...or your hat is going permanently. Your choice."

"But...Shepard come on, you're not serious right? Right?" Jeff knew he was royally screwed as he stared into those unshakable brown eyes. "The beard's as good as gone." He promised, picking up the electric razor and the bottle of shaving cream that Shepard had dropped in his lap. There was no way he'd let anyone touch his hat. Not even his CO would have that honor.

"Get us to the coordinates Hackett sent first, then you can worry about the beard Joker. That'll give us time to at least get ready for another trip into God-knows-what." Fifteen minutes didn't allow for a lot of time to get completely refreshed, and she hadn't gotten a chance to hit the mess. As if the mere thought of food woke her stomach, a loud growl emanated from her gut, reminding Jennifer that she hadn't eaten anything since well before the Luna Base mission had begun.

**Thirty minutes later.**

**A remote island in the Arctic Circle.**

Joker had zeroed in on the disturbance Hackett had talked about in his message, but he had no idea what they were looking at as the sensor readings bounced all over the place. "Well, the ship's sensors are definitely picking up something under the ice, but I can't make heads or tails of these energy readings Shepard. Whatever it is, it's big. How can something like this remain hidden for so long anyway?"

_That is a good question._ "It probably wasn't detected earlier because the ice hadn't melted enough out here. According to the sat scans of the area from the 20th, this island was completely covered by a glacier from Earth's last ice age. " Jennifer shrugged since, while the idea of finding something else that ancient intrigued her, it didn't matter at the end of the day. "Get as close as you can. If you can land, fine, otherwise I'm taking the Mako in."

"That might not be a good idea Commander. If the ice out here isn't thick enough, the Mako could go right through and you'd end up an N7 popsicle before you knew it." Joker absently rubbed at his face, which just felt so _wrong_, even as he tried to prevent Shepard from doing _something else _really stupid that day. "I can set us down near the center of the island. Should only be a couple clicks away from the signal."

"Alright, just do the best you can. That storm outside doesn't look like it'll be going away anytime soon." Shepard playfully ran a finger over Joker's recently clean shaven chin. "I'm shocked you actually went through with it Joker. You _did _know I was just messing with you, right?" Having tormented the man enough for one day, Jennifer squeezed Joker's shoulder gently before going back to the CIC to collect those she wanted to go in with her. "Kaidan, Garrus, you're up. Meet me in the hangar, full tac gear. It's a little cold outside."

"Oh. Joy." Garrus' eyes briefly focused on the veritable blizzard outside the cockpit view ports, before he turned to follow Shepard and Alenko down the stairs. "I did mention that turians hate the cold right? I could have sworn I said that on Noveria..."

"It could be worse Garrus." Jennifer didn't want to finish that particular sentence given what had happened to Liara's mother before the mission had ended. The asari had cried herself to sleep that same night, or so Dr. Chakwas had said. Shepard couldn't help worrying over the naive young archaeologist as she opened her locker and grabbed her cold weather gear. _If not for that, I'd have invited her along instead of Kaidan. She needs time to mourn, and while a warship might not be the best place for it, at least she's among friends._

As they quietly rode the elevator down to the hangar deck, Jennifer didn't complain when Garrus interrupted her thoughts, finding the distraction couldn't have been better timed. "_Right_. At least we don't have to worry about a murderous AI in the middle of nowhere. Yetis though..." Shepard only shook her head at the turian, not taking the bait this time.

"Why would anyone want to build anything all the way out here anyway?" Kaidan asked, as he and Garrus stopped before their respective lockers and began to suit up once again. Shepard wasted no time doing the same, as she listened to the lieutenant. "On that note, why are we investigating? Is the Alliance expecting trouble?"

"They don't know what we might be walking into anymore than we do, and we were the closest ship at the time, so we're just the lucky ones I guess. For all we know it could be another prothean base." Shepard replied as she finished clamping down the combat helmet to the rest of her armored suit, the protective cold weather undersuit hugging her muscular frame like a second skin. In the off chance she _did _end up in the water, the undersuit would keep her safe for several minutes before hypothermia started to set in.

"Enlighten me Shepard, how does traveling to the middle of _another _frozen wasteland make us lucky?" Shepard wasn't able to see the quizzical lift of Garrus' brow plates underneath his helmet, but she knew they had.

"Just trying to keep the mood light Garrus. Personally, I'd rather be in my bed right now, sleeping off the bruises from our last outing. But since that isn't happening, might as well make the most of it." Jennifer paused for a moment as she finished tightening the last of her legging straps. "How are Ash, Tali, Liara, and Wrex doing? And I mean, how are they _really _doing? Don't try to help with the brave front they put up when I checked on them earlier."

Kaidan hesitated only for a moment, before he looked to his Commander after finishing his own preparations. "That last fight was tougher than even I was ready for Commander. I'm fine other than a few burns which are on the mend, but I know Wrex got the worst of it when he took a missile to his back. Tali's got a mild concussion, but she should be fit for duty by the time we get back from this trip. Williams has a fractured wrist so she'll be in a cast for a while, but it's Liara's emotional state I'd be worried about."

"Thank you Kaidan. I appreciate the honesty." Shepard nodded to the biotic, before she turned her attention for a moment to Vakarian. "How are you holding up Garrus? Don't bother trying to impress me, I saw Chakwas treating that nasty burn on your arm."

He was glad his helmet concealed his facial expression as he did his best to keep his tone light. "Other than I'm not looking forward to freezing my ass off again? Honestly I could be better. That whole thing with Doctor Saleon was a little more...intense than I thought it'd be. As for the burn, it's fine so long as I don't think about it. Thanks for reminding me, by the way." Garrus made a show of flinching as he stretched his left arm and wiggled his gloved talons.

"Aww. Sorry the little booboo is bothering you tough guy. You have point, _by the way_. Try not to lead us off a cliff or something Garrus." Shepard pointed the barrel of her rifle towards the lowering hangar bay door.

"Not even a small crevasse Shepard? That might be fun." Despite the 'burn' to his ego, Garrus was the first down the ramp and it was obvious there was a spring in his long stride. The reason for that was simple enough, he could feel Jen's annoyed glare on his back, which made the turian sharpshooter grin despite the blizzard they were walking into. As if reading his mind, Garrus turned around only to see Jennifer had a cable clipped to her belt which had originated from Kaidan's.

The Commander had already extended a line off of her own belt, pulling out a few meters of slack before holding the end out to the turian. "Glad to see one of us is thinking." Garrus quickly snatched the offered line from Shepard's hand, just knowing there was a giant smirk directed at him from under her helmet at that moment.

"Thanks... At least I'll have company if I fall into the ice." As if just to prove a point, Garrus soon found himself stumbling to the ground after his line had suddenly gone slack.

"Safety releases. These are just guidelines Garrus. Better hook you back on before you get lost." The amusement in her voice was easy to hear, as Shepard bent over and reattached Garrus' line to her belt.

"Why did I agree to follow you again?" Despite the question, Garrus was honestly happy to have signed on with such a capable Commander. It helped that she was able to get things done, and they were going after a rogue member of his own species. Before Shepard could think of a good comeback, he quickly interrupted. "That was a rhetorical question."

"I know, besides, who else can outshoot you?" Activating her omni-tool, Shepard located the source of the energy disturbance and directed Garrus in that direction. "We're almost there, keep your eyes open for anything out of the ordinary."

"This whole mission is out of the ordinary, Commander." Kaidan replied, shrugging as he took in the rather bleak, yet beautiful, surroundings.

"In the case...anything that isn't snow or ice smart ass." Kaidan nearly tripped as Shepard gave a tug on his line, suddenly wondering if she had made the whole 'safety release' up.

"Something like that by chance?" Garrus asked, as he caught sight of an opening that he had almost walked right into no thanks to the blinding snow hitting them. The archway in the icewall before him was definitely man made since it was made of a metal he didn't recognize. "Or maybe this is the _wrong _mysterious doorway, and we should just keep look-"

"GET DOWN!" Shepard shouted, when she spotted some kind of automated turret appearing just inside the doorway. A piece of metal plating had flipped over, revealing the turret the moment Garrus got close, and had started to power up. The energy it shot out was not of the kinetic variety, that much Jennifer was sure of as she rolled to the side just as the pure energy beam hit the ice where Garrus had been standing moments ago. "Was that some type of beam weapon?!" _That's definitely new._

"Looked like it Commander!" Kaidan shouted, as he and Garrus ducked to the right side of the arch with Jennifer on the left. "But that shouldn't be possible! Just who were these guys?!"

"It's toast, that's what it is." Jennifer growled, as she pulled a grenade from her belt and tossed it directly at the turret. A few seconds later, a reassuring explosion reached them as a shower of metal parts and smoke erupted from the arch. Raising her rifle as she ducked into the doorway, Jennifer didn't see anything else preparing to lay them out and gave the hand signal for the rest of her team to follow. One look at the small control panel on the nearby wall, and the scattered debris around them, told her this structure was far more advanced than it had any right to be. It seemed the technology used to create this place was at least on par with the asaris' best, if not better. It also felt ancient, like the ruins on Feros, when they had landed on the former prothean colony. _Maybe I should have called Liara here after all? I could certainly have used Tali's help at least._ After a moment of consideration, Shepard shook her head. _No. I'll let them recover for now, unless I don't have a choice._

Passing by a computer monitor, Jennifer almost fired on the image that appeared in front of them, but just held back when all it showed was a diagram of a city, no doubt long since forgotten, before fizzing out moments later. She caught a glimpse of a name before the image went black. _Giga City? Whatever it was, it was huge, and it looked like it had been located on a manmade island._ "Time and the elements probably damaged the structure. Keep your eyes peeled for any structural weaknesses. I don't want to have to mount a rescue because the floor went out from under us."

Alenko warily stared at the deceptively simple entrance before falling back in line behind Garrus and Shepard. "Commander...maybe we should call for backup? This obviously has to be what caught the Alliance's attention. We _could_ let them handle it from here."

Despite how out of depth they were, Jennifer had a funny feeling that they were meant to be there. Letting someone else handle this wouldn't be right, but how she knew that she couldn't say. "Maybe you're right, but we're here now, so we might as well go all the way Kaidan. If we come up against something we can't handle, then we'll call in the cavalry."

"We were just shot at by an energy cannon, I'd call that a bit out of the ordinary, even for us." Garrus didn't protest further as they continued onward, most of the lights above sparking out while a few managed to stay on.

The ones that were still operational revealed more of the highly sophisticated machinery they had seen outside with more monitors flickering on, revealing more of the civilization's past and those that had built the installation. There was a disturbing theme they immediately noticed. There had been a long and brutal war between machines and humans. Not just that, but it seemed most of the machines had turned against each other, but _why _none of them could begin to even guess.

Despite the fact they were looking at a war, the likes of which they couldn't imagine, Jennifer was practically bouncing on her feet with excitement. "Where's your spirit of adventure Garrus? Now get over here and help me unlock the door to this ancient-base-of-unknown-mystery."

"Well, when you put it _that way_, why not? What could _possibly_ go horrifically wrong?" The turian just shook his helmeted head as he activated his omni-tool and walked over to Shepard.

"You had to ask." Jen growled, as smaller energy bolts started shooting out of the doorway the moment the ancient door was opened. Her brown eyes caught sight of a yellow humanoid robot, with some type of energy cannon pointing at them over his right shoulder as he continued to shoot at them wildly. The feral look in its eyes was what drew Jennifer's attention however. Something in the robot's eyes seemed almost human despite, or because of, the rage she found there. "It must be going berserk. We need to put it down fast."

"Berserk? And here I just thought _another _machine was trying to kill us." Garrus snarked, before he took a split second to pop out of cover, aim his sniper rifle, and blast a rather large hole in the robot's seemingly light armored chest. The humanoid robot went down hard, skidding across the metal floor until he came to a dead stop against the far wall of the hallway.

Running to where the robot had fallen, Jennifer ran her omni-tool over it and was amazed the machine was still holding onto life as she met its gaze. What was more amazing was that it had the ability to speak. "It….wasn't supposed to….end...like this. X….Zero….I failed you." As the machine fell silent, what really bothered Shepard was the unexpected look of shame and fear in its eyes. Not only that, but the light in its blue eyes disappeared the moment it deactivated, much like a living organism that had perished.

"That's….new. It looked almost..._human_." Kaidan was amazed at what he had just witnessed, as he knelt on one knee to take a closer look at the now motionless robot. They had killed scores of geth and other machine constructs, but not once had they ever shown even a hint of emotion. While this guy was outfitted for war given the sword and the cannon that was part of its design, it still had a human face that had until a moment ago, displayed clear fear as its 'life' was ended.

"Don't overthink it Kaidan. It was just a broken machine." Jennifer said, as she pulled up the readings she had taken before the machine had fallen for good. As brief as her scan had been, the intricacy of its innards was beyond astounding. "This tech is way beyond anything I've ever seen. Whoever built this thing was light years beyond us."

Unable to help himself given the human like emotions he had seen on its face, Kaidan closed the machine's now lifeless eyes before standing to his feet again. _Why do I get the feeling we just gun downed an innocent bystander?_ Something definitely didn't feel right here, and Kaidan had learned to trust his instincts.

It took them the better part of an hour to find their way to the source of the signal since the installation was huge. Other than a few more automated turrets, there were no more signs of life, and the few humanoid machines they came across had long since powered down. Before reaching the final door however, Jennifer caught sight of a leg sticking out of a vent shaft, a pink leg at that. "Is it just me or is that a pink version of our friend out front?"

"Be careful Shepard, it could go berserk like the last one." Kaidan warned, even as the Commander went to pull the machine out of 'her' hiding spot. It didn't take long for the biotic to realize that the machine wasn't going to be a threat, if the amount of damage she had taken was anything to go by. "It looks like something….cut her in half and didn't complete the job." The metal chassis that served as 'her' chest area had a hideously deep slash which went down to the spine. "Why would anyone do this?"

Before she could come up with a response, the 'woman' at their feet spoke. "Mir...acle." The blonde 'woman' jerked her head towards Kaidan, making the biotic jump back in surprise. Jennifer knelt by the robot, amazed she had any energy at all with the wound she had suffered. "Not much….time. Power….failing. You….who are you?"

"I'm Commander Shepard. Can you tell us what this place is?" Jennifer paused briefly, surprised at the next words that flowed from her mouth, given the events of the last day, if not the last month. "Is there any way we can repair you?" _Great, I'm letting this thing get under my skin, just like Kaidan._

The Maverick Hunter Operations Specialist, according to the surprisingly readable markings on her armor, shook her blonde head in reply, a brief smile gracing her face before she started to answer Jennifer's question. "Last hope for all of us…. We sealed away….the best of us...so that they could...protect the future where we failed. Maverick Hunters….S rank….X and Zero. Find them…..release them. Need...access card….have it with me." Before she could begin to reach for the card in question, Jen got to it first and looked at the name attached.

"Your name is Alia?" Alia slowly nodded, as Shepard quickly continued. "Thank you for your help Alia. You're going to be alright, I'm sure my crew can patch you up." _I should have brought Tali after all._

"You're not...a good liar….Command-." The light in her blue eyes disappeared, but the wry grin on her face remained.

_Damn. What's wrong with me? I shouldn't be upset over a broken machine turning off._ Looking at Kaidan and Garrus, she didn't have to see their faces to know they were just as upset over the strangeness of this situation as she was. Closing Alia's eyes, much as Kaidan had the guard out front, Jennifer rose to her feet before silently going to the last door which she noted was heavily reinforced. She doubted the guns on the Destiny Ascension itself could have punched through it as she noticed a shimmering green force field over the blast door. Seeing a card reader next to the door, Jen looked at Aila's card for a moment before swiping it through and taking a step back when the forcefield disappeared in a flash. "Open sesame."

The massive door started to raise, except it didn't open completely. It ground to a halt only halfway up its track before freezing in place. "Well, at least the door works. Sort of."

"Your grasp of the obvious is astounding Garrus." Shepard snarked, as she quickly ducked under the jammed door. A fraction of a second before it slammed shut behind her. "SHIT!" There was no way she'd be able to get back, not with that door shut between her and her team. Going for her comm link, Jennifer hoped the signal would be able to get through as she shouted into the device in her helmet. "Garrus, Kaidan, do you copy?"

"We're here Shepard, had us worried for a second there. We'll see if we can't find another way inside, since my grasp of the obvious is tingling again." The turian's voice sounded confident coming over the comm line, but Jennifer knew better.

She knew even before Garrus finished that there was no way they'd find another way in. Even if they did, chances were it'd be sealed up tight, just like the door in front of her. "Door like this? There'd be a better chance of opening and closing windows on a starship. I suddenly think calling in the cavalry is a _great_ idea, unless I can find a way to get the door working on this side." Shepard was mildly relieved to see another card reader nearby, in the bright light of her helmet lamps. "Looks like I might be in luck guys. Hold on."

Kaidan's voice sounded worried, as Shepard started to look around the dark chamber she found herself stuck in for the moment. "Good Commander, because short of dragging Tali out here, I doubt we can hack this thing. And yes, before you ask, Vakarian and I already tried."

"Alright, get Tali down here regardless if this works or not. It'll take the other team time to get here." Jennifer hesitated for all of two seconds before swiping the large card once again. It took her another three to realize the device had simply thrown back an irritating buzz in response. "This could be a problem." Flipping the card over, the marine thinking that she had possibly swiped it the wrong way, didn't do anything. Except to give her another buzz for her trouble. "Piece of ancient shit." Swipe. Buzz. Swipe. Buzz. "Um...scratch that. I _definitely _have a problem."

Shepard brought up her omni-tool to try hacking the door despite Alenko's warning. It dutifully informed her of two things. Apparently the air in the ancient base was anything but breathable. As well as the minor problem that she only had thirty-seven minutes of oxygen remaining in her suit. _Great, the only way I see getting out of here is if I find those two friends of Alia's. I hope they don't start shooting the moment they wake up. If they were as good as Alia made them sound, I could be in trouble._

With no other choice, Jennifer turned away from the door and proceeded deeper into the installation, hoping to find the mysterious robotic warriors that Alia had put all of _her_ hope in. More computer monitors flickered on as she moved further down the hallway, but once she reached the end, she came upon a circular chamber with two large glass covered tanks in the center of the room, hard wired into the installation's main reactor. There'd be no way she could drag the capsules out of here, even if the door _wasn't _sealed shut.

A sudden loud, nervous voice in her ears almost made Shepard jump in the darkened room. "Keelah! Shepard, are you alright?! We're on our way! Just stay calm, we'll get you out of there before you know it!"

Jennifer had to shake her head at the ever worrisome young quarian mechanic. _At least her heart is in the right place...metaphorically speaking that is. _"I'm fine Tali. But...I wouldn't mind if you and the others skip any sightseeing on the way."

"Why would we...oh right. Good one, Commander." Jen could almost picture the blush behind Tali's dark visor.

"I wouldn't blame you for looking around when you get me out of here, this place is a treasure trove of history, let alone tech we haven't seen before." And that was the truth as Jen wiped an armored glove hand over the capsule in front of her, wiping away the centuries of dust that had collected to reveal a single letter stamped on the front. "Found you X. Then the other one must belong to your partner."

"By the goddess! It's freezing out h-" Liara was soon cut off by the deep rumble that was Wrex's 'quiet' voice.

"Your mic is still on asari. Not like you're gonna get any bluer." A light chuckle was heard in the ancient chamber, as Jennifer realized that the rest of her team were doing better than she expected. "Can't a guy get a five minute nap while his blast hole regenerates?" Or not.

"Ha! Nice one Wrex. Oh wait, crap. No talking about _you know what_ on comms." Shepard had to grin as she distinctly heard Ashley cut her link.

Just as she was about to head to Zero's capsule, a video screen flickered on just as the lights finally turned on. Having accidentally tripped some kind of sensor, Jennifer turned off her head lamps before turning her attention to the grainy video that had turned on above X's tank. The image of an elderly, sickly looking, white bearded man met her gaze. "My name is Doctor Thomas Light. I am the researcher who designed and built Mega Man X. I granted X special powers that no other robot possesses. Utilizing his conscience, he is able to think, worry, and act entirely of his own accord. This means he is also imbued with the materials necessary to facilitate the evolution of robots in the same manner as life. It is an unfortunate fact that human life is short and fleeting, and I fear I will not have the time to ensure the safety of the X Project. That is why I have decided to seal him away. Perhaps in the far flung future, he will fight valiantly to ensure peace for all the people. Yes, I firmly believe this will come to pass. But, I am not without worry. I fear that X will get swept up in the war we call progress. I urge the people of the future to remember that X is my, nay, the world's hope."

"True AI….no wonder these robots seem so human. And these people made them on purpose." She wasn't sure if she was more amazed by their genius, or astounded by their stupidity. Regardless of her personal feelings, Jennifer had seen at least one example of a truly benevolent and intelligent machine in Alia. If her luck held out, then maybe these two would prove just as benevolent. Perhaps even helpful against Saren and his legion of geth. _Maybe I'm being a tad optimistic..._ "Now I just have to figure out how to open their capsules. Right….let's see." The computer terminal on the left of the main reactor powered up the moment she got close, and Jennifer set to work in trying to activate the two machines that had been sealed side by side. _Like brothers, maybe even family. With how this day is going, it wouldn't surprise me. _Before she got too far however, she made sure her assault rifle was unfolded and against the side of the computer terminal, just in case she needed it in a hurry.

A loud thud sounded in the distance as a grunt of pain reached Shepard's ears. "Wrex...I told you slamming your helmet into the massive door wasn't a good idea."

"Shut up Vakarian. Had to try right? Heh heh. Ow." Wrex grumbled over the comms, getting a quiet chuckle from Jen as her fingers continued to fly over the old fashion keyboard in front of her.

_Either the holographic interface isn't working or they never had one. Doesn't matter I guess._ With a shrug, she continued, until finally the capsules' locks disengaged with a hiss of air before the lids slowly pulled up and away. Grabbing her assault rifle, Jennifer slowly approached X's tank, prepared for anything and everything.

X as his creator had named him, opened his green eyes and slowly pulled himself up out of his capsule. Shaking his head as if to clear it of who knew how many years of 'sleep', the 'Maverick Hunter' finally noticed the human pointing a gun at him and held up his hands in a placating gesture. "Who are you? And would you get that rifle out of my face? I'm not going to attack you."

Jennifer relaxed, but only slightly, as she met the machine's human like expression. "Glad to see we can talk to each other X. My name is Commander Jennifer Hayley Shepard. I'm a marine with the Systems Alliance military. As for the gun, I met a friend of yours outside. He didn't give us time to talk."

"He went Maverick?" X asked, having a feeling he knew who she was talking about as his gaze intensified.

"If that's the term you use for insane, then yes, but….he seemed to return to normal after my team put him down." _Okay, that might have been a little harsh. Better not piss off a huge blue machine with a big cannon for a hand._ "I'm sorry, but he gave us no choice."

After stepping out of his capsule, X held up his normal hand and shook his head. "No….we knew the risks when we volunteered for this. You did the merciful thing for him Commander." The worry was clear in the AI's green eyes as he hesitantly continued. "Did you happen to find another Reploid stationed here? Her name is Alia."

"If that look on her face is anything to go by old buddy, I'd say she did." Zero chimed in as he too shook his head and pulled himself out of his capsule while Shepard somehow avoided swinging her rifle up towards 'him'. The fact he moved far quicker than she could hope to keep up with wasn't lost on her either, as Zero disappeared in a red blur before appearing again by X's side in the time it took her to blink. "So, did you find her or not Commander?"

_Reploid? Well, now I know what to call them at least. How the Hell do I handle this without getting my face shot off...or cut in half if that hilt on 'Zero's' back is really what I think it is? Screw it, honesty it is. _"Yeah….but you might want to brace yourselves. I'm sorry to have to tell you. She-" Shepard wasn't able to get out another word of warning as the two large machines bolted for the sealed door. _I hope they have better luck than we did so far. Wait...what is he doing?! Oh shit!_ "Shepard to ground teams, get away from the door now!" It had taken her a fraction of a second to see that X had raised the cannon that passed for his right hand and had begun to gather energy. She had no doubt the door was about to be turned into tinfoil as her omni-tool's sensors went off the scale from the amount of power the blue Hunter had already gathered.

The immense energy blast shredded the door apart, just as Shepard had thought it would, and continued on through until it hit the wall on the far end of the hallway. Her astonished crew were spread out on either side of that same hall, having gotten out of the way just in the nick of time. "By the goddess, what was that?! Shepard? Who or what are those two?!"

Tali didn't wait for an introduction as she jumped to her feet, her omni-tool at the ready. "Get back! Don't come any closer you synthetic bosh't-"

"Tali, stand down!" Even the ever confident Zero was taken aback by how powerful those three words were, as the slender humanoid in front of him immediately stepped back. Shepard quickly walked over to the young quarian and quietly whispered to her. "Calm down and look, _really_ look Tali. Forget your people's old grudge for two minutes, that's all I ask, and just look at them."

For as long as the young quarian could remember, she had always been told _any _synthetic lifeform was to be feared for its potential to go rogue. Not only that, but with the geth in control of their homeworld, she had always gone to bed with stories of what had been lost because of their species' mistake nearly three hundred years ago. That the geth were completely without mercy or a sense of remorse for their actions. But, looking at the strange new synthetics in front of her, Tali forgot all about her old prejudices for a moment at the very real emotions that swept across their faces. Grief was the most obvious one of them all, as the blue synthetic gingerly lifted Alia's head from the floor. "You found her like this?"

Shepard nodded solemnly as she put a hand on X's shoulder. "She managed to speak for a few moments. That's how we knew to find you two. She wanted us to wake both of you more than anything." Jennifer took a moment to gaze at the still form in X's arms. "I only wish we had found her sooner...there was nothing we could do for her."

"Alia….why didn't you wake us sooner?" Zero whispered before he looked towards the group behind him for a moment before looking at the damage done to their friend. "The attack was directed right at a weak spot….Sigma's handiwork. She wouldn't have stood a chance against him. _We_ barely stood a chance against him. He probably left her as a message to us, or one final act of vengeance. Who can say with that Maverick?" Even though he tried to keep his voice devoid of emotion, there was still a detectable amount of rage in the red Reploid's voice.

Shepard was honestly surprised when Wrex was the first to have something to say about it. "Twisted pyjack wouldn't know an honorable fight if it came up and kicked him in the quad, from the sounds of it. But your friend had a lot of guts standing up to a stronger enemy."

Liara was the first to take a tentative step towards the strange beings, though not half as confident in their nature as Shepard seemed to be. "I agree. No one deserves what has been done to her, whatever the reason behind it, but she made sure you were protected even to her dying breath. I can think of no better way to leave this life than in the service of those you care about." _Right...mother?_

"Would you like to get out of this place? We can...help you with your friend, if-" Jennifer saw that wasn't going to be happening in this lifetime as the two protectively, gently, picked up the remains of

their departed friend. _Judging by the looks in their eyes, she was a damn close one. Or more._

No one said a word as the small group quietly escorted the robotic duo and their fallen comrade out to the main entryway. With only a slight nod, Zero let X bear the weight of Alia's broken form and walked over to the other silent Reploid. He had gone Maverick in the end and that alone would justify his death, but what he had allowed to happen was beyond unforgivable. _How could you Shadow? How could you let Sigma do that to her? Whatever our differences, Alia didn't deserve to suffer like that... _With an enraged growl, Zero ripped the fellow Reploid's head off and proceeded to smash it against the wall next to him until there was nothing left bigger than a sliver of metal.

When Zero turned towards the group, he wasn't surprised that almost every one of them had their guns leveled his way. "Making sure?" Jennifer asked after Zero had vented his rage on his former comrade. "I know the feeling. Believe me, I know all too well."

"How would you know?!" The angered AI shouted, as he turned to glare at the human woman. But, in that moment, he saw the haunted look in her brown eyes and _knew _she was telling him the truth. "What happened?" Zero managed to ask as he clenched and unclenched his hands several times, trying to calm himself down.

"Akuze happened." With that, X and Zero were left standing at the arch as Jennifer walked out into the blizzard without looking back before the rest of her crew fell in behind her.

Only when Jen had went to the front of the line, and was well out of earshot, did Garrus answer their unspoken question. "She was trapped on a hostile world for close to three weeks. Her entire platoon was annihilated by giant creatures called thresher maws. She was the only survivor."

X could only gasp in surprise at what the turian had just told them while Zero could only followed her departure with his eyes. One look at his friend told X that Zero felt like an ass for bringing up those particular memories in her.

Zero didn't know what it was about Shepard, but something about her seemed stronger than anything he had ever ran across as his years as a Maverick Hunter. _Sigma might have torn her apart, but I doubt it would have been an easy fight now that I've gotten a glimpse of her. _"What did we get ourselves into this time?"

"I don't know Zero, I just know we can't stay here….there's nothing for us here now." Pulling Alia's body up on his shoulder a little more, X walked on and caught up with the departing group.

Tali was at the tail end of the line and she looked behind her, her old prejudices having been shaken since meeting the mysterious synthetics. _They care about their dead, and yet 'Zero' smashed the other machine's head against the wall. Just what are they...and more importantly, just what are they capable of?_

"What are you looking at...um, whatever you are?" Zero tried not to show his confusion and unease, as he stared at the short, suited alien.

"Just wondering how two machines ever learned to care about their fallen." Tali said, before she could stop herself, or even think to blunt her words as she continued. "You certainly didn't seem to be concerned for the other one."

X put a restraining hand on Zero's shoulder before his old friend could do anything he would regret later, as the red plated Reploid did his best not to shout at the organic. "She was my...friend. As for _him_, Shadow pretended to be on our side. He let an enemy walk into our home and rip Alia apart! So you'll have to forgive me if I was a _little _too harsh for your taste!"

"Traitorous coward like that got off easy if you ask me." Wrex grumbled, as he dragged Tali away by her small, suited arm before she could piss the two machines off further. "And _you _need to be a little more open minded ya little whelp. Squishy species like you always bitch and moan about others not being understanding and compassionate, and all that other useless crap."

"Did I just see an old grumpy krogan give a young quarian a lesson in manners?" Kaidan asked, having to blink his eyes a couple of times in surprise.

Williams could only shake her head in reply. "This day just keeps getting weirder and weirder LT."

"Excuse me, but where are we going?" X managed to butt in before the group could get anymore distracted. "Is there a teleportation grid somewhere nearby I'm not aware of?"

"Teleportation? Sorry X, no such luck, but we do have a starship. And speak of the devil, there she is. Joker, open the hangar door." Jennifer said, as she gestured towards the streamlined ship only a hundred meters or so away in the heavy blizzard.

"Whoa, nice ship Shepard. Guess you guys have a leg up on us after all." Zero smirked until he looked back to his partner and their fallen ally. "What do you plan to do with us? If you plan to dismantle us, I can assure you you won't get the chance."

"Dismantle you? I haven't even gotten to ask about your friend's badass cannon yet." Jen's attempt at humor fell flat on its face as she realized both machines were taking this deadly serious. "For the record, I don't plan to 'do' anything to you. As for the future...that depends on you doesn't it? I can't make you stay Zero, but there's a problem in this day and age. People have a fear of artificial intelligence, no matter what they happen to look like." She made sure to look at Tali so her meaning wasn't lost on the two of them. "I'm more open minded than most. I knew something was truly unique about you when I looked in your friend's eyes. While the fact I probably would have died from lack of oxygen is a close second, she was the reason I went with my gut and woke you both up."

"Thank you for doing it, regardless of your reason Commander." X said as he walked up the ramp, unsure of what awaited them from here, he was only worried for the present. Mainly because of the half dozen weapons being pointed at him by various marines on the hangar deck.

"It's alright people, stand down. We found a couple...guests out in the storm." While they were a little too slow following her order for Shepard's liking, the marines quickly lowered their weapons. As if extending a small olive branch, Jennifer noticed that X's cannon had since transformed into a simple hand. "Nice trick."

"Thanks. Is there….somewhere I can set her down?" He didn't know what he hoped to do, if anything, he just needed time to think and to gather himself. X had a feeling Zero needed time as well with everything that had happened.

"There's room in the med bay. And X….whatever happens, so long as you're under my metaphorical roof, you're both safe." _I doubt he truly believes that, but I do. That will have to be good enough for now._

The Reploids nodded before going to the elevator with Shepard at their side, the weight of the world on their shoulders. Even Tali noticed it as they passed by, but she wasn't about to openly show synthetics any pity. Only after they had gone did Tali look to Ashley, a question in her eyes but she didn't know how to bring it out into the open. Sighing heavily, the quarian went to Engineering without a word, needing time of her own to think.

**SR-1 Normandy, Med Bay Science Lab / Storage.**

**Two hours later...**

"Out of the freezer, and into the void. Great." Zero grumbled to himself, but despite that, he was just happy they were still kicking. "Never thought I'd say this, but I almost miss Dr. Cain and the researchers that were constantly poking at us."

"You sure you haven't gone Maverick after all that time suspended in stasis?" X had to hide the smile that wanted to escape him at the glare his partner threw at him for the joke.

"Not funny X. And yeah, I'm pretty sure I don't have homicidal delusions of grandeur." X couldn't help noticing that Zero hadn't put down Alia's processing unit ever since he had started to examine it.

"Zero...it wasn't your fault. The archive was the best kept secret we had. How were we supposed to know that Sigma would track us down?" _We should have never assumed we could hide from the likes of him._

"It doesn't make me feel any better X. He used to be one of us, and he knew all of our tricks. It's no wonder we could never defeat him for good. Forget the fact his Virus could reanimate him anytime we destroyed him by allowing him to possess another Reploid and bending it to his will, he was still one of us, once." Zero was tempted to slam his fist into the wall, but he held himself in check since they had an audience of one.

While the additional equipment and sets of armor that Shepard had allowed the two to salvage from the base were amazing in their own right, Liara could only stare at the two machines in wonder, having never imagined seeing anything like them in her life. "Fascinating..." The word was out of her mouth before she could stop herself, as her 'roommates', she believed was the human term, focused on her. "I am sorry for staring, but as you've no doubt guessed, you are incredibly unique in this day and age."

"Because of the geth and the ban on all AI research." X stated, having tapped into the extranet shortly after getting settled in their new shared quarters. "You aren't the first to show interest in us, even in our own time we were considered unique. You've got a lot of questions, don't you?" X playfully 'aimed' one of his fingers at the deck, hoping not to scare the nervous looking alien. "Shoot."

"You sure you want to get into twenty questions with her X? No offense doc, but we don't even know if we'll be able to stick around for long if Shepard's Alliance has anything to say about it."

"Actually, my current list is closer to two hundred, but I will endeavor to narrow them down." Liara put her hands out in a placating gesture, wondering if she'd already managed to ruin her chance of discovering what the vastly distant past was like from these two intriguing machines.

"That was an expression Doctor T'Soni." _She kind of reminds me of Cinnamon from Giga City._ With that thought bringing up a lot of memories best left forgotten by the Hunter, X looked to the deck at his feet. Zero didn't miss the forlorn look and had a feeling he knew where his friend's thoughts had turned. Forcing back those old memories of friends long gone, X looked up towards the asari and managed a small smile. "I'm actually curious about you as well Doctor. I didn't know there was life beyond our solar system."

"How strangely sad..." Liara quickly recomposed herself when she realized X was obviously waiting for her to continue. "There are dozens of species located throughout the known galaxy actually. I'm sure the extranet could inform you of them better than I. As for myself, there is little to tell really."

"He's kind of sentimental, likes to hear about this kind of thing from actual people Doc. Still, now you got even me a bit curious." Zero chimed in before X could get a word in edgewise. "Since we're stuck here together, why not tell us 'a little' about yourself Doc?"

"Well..." Even with her light blue freckled skin, X and Zero could still knew a blush when they saw one. "I am a fully trained xenoarchaeologist, as well as an expert on prothean ruins. Although I use the term 'expert' loosely, as I am only hundred and six."

"Only a hundred and six huh? Says here asari live for centuries, so that would make ya what, sixteen, seventeen, in human terms? We're at least a hundred and three, not counting the years spent in suspension." Zero shrugged since age was a relative term for Reploids, who didn't technically age anyway. "So congrats, you're definitely the oldest person in this room, probably the second wisest too."

"Zero…." X sighed and shook his head, amazed that his friend could be so idiotic sometimes.

"Really? That is very kind of you to say, Zero is it?" The last thing X, or Zero for that matter, had been expecting was the delighted smile on Liara's face. "It is nice to meet fellow youths such as yourselves."

"Uh….you're welcome….I think." Zero didn't exactly like the fact the asari had just called both of them children essentially, but he kept it to himself. _If you could see me now Iris... I'm pretty sure there should be a law against making this naive blue kid so much as frown. _His blue eyes warily flicked to the opening door before their host walked in a moment later.

"Good to see you three are getting along so well." Jennifer nodded to the resident prothean 'expert' as she casually approached her newest guests. "Thanks for letting X and Zero share the place Liara."

"Of course Commander, they are quite fascinating specimens to study, and I've enjoyed our time together." It only took Liara half a second to facepalm at her stupidity. "Oh goddess...I should have stated that much more politely."

"Just a little Liara." Zero chuckled as he finally set Alia's processing unit down before turning his eyes towards Shepard next.

X had already beaten him to it though as he stood up and stopped before Jennifer, asking the question that was on both of their minds. "Is there any word from your superiors Commander?"

"More like words. Enough to fill an hour and a half of debate with the brass, it turns out. Long story short, my ass is on a _very _thin branch. _But. _The two of you aren't going anywhere you don't want to. For the time being at least. Unfortunately, the location of your old base was the price. Good thing Garrus _volunteered _to return to the base with you so you could grab some of your gear."

"Thank you again for that Commander. I was starting to get a little worried when Officer Vakarian started swearing in his native tongue though." X had made Zero speed up their efforts when his sensors picked up the minute shivering under Garrus' nearly motionless armor.

"There wasn't anything else there we really couldn't do without Shepard. You let us bring Alia along, so they can have the rest and melt it down to scrap metal for all I care." Zero just shrugged at the fellow blonde, as the marine gave their two stored armor sets a once over.

"Zero's right Commander. I still hope they treat any of our fallen that they find with some dignity though." _It isn't right...Zero and I shouldn't have been the only one's with an emergency generator nearby. _The two of them had been lucky in the end. Every other Reploid in their 'ark', with the sole exceptions of Shadow and Alia, had long since become completely inoperable.

Nodding her understanding, Jennifer hesitantly continued. "I tried to stress that your Reploid friends, even the yellow guy Zero smashed into pieces, were as close to human as you could get, but I don't think that it did a lot of good. They only see the machines, and not the people I've come to know since meeting you two."

"So why didn't they demand you hand us over as well Commander? I wouldn't blame you for following orders, but honestly, your crew doesn't seem all that bad. I wouldn't want to harm them if I could help it." Zero wasn't the only one that found Jennifer Shepard quite unique, especially for a human. X had also found he liked this woman a great deal due to the strength and compassion she had shown them since they had met her.

"Let me put this as plainly as I can for you boys. I might be Alliance, but as a Council Spectre, the brass has to take into consideration that my actions and _their_ actions reflect on the rest of the galaxy at large. Now more than ever, because everyone's looking at us to succeed. Me being the first human one and all." Jennifer just casually shrugged, she had never been one for adoring fans and hero worship.

"So you told your superior officers to rust off basically? I _really _like you now Shepard." Zero smirked as he sat down on a nearby crate as Jen grinned and shook her head in amusement.

"Well...I said it politely. But yeah, pretty much. Luckily Admiral Hackett was there to talk down Rear Admiral Mikhailovich afterward, otherwise I don't think it would have went over so well."

"So...since I guess we'll be sticking around longer than I thought, mind telling us where we're headed next? I promise that _both _of us..." X gave Zero a pointed stare. "Have stayed out of any critical systems, including navigation."

_No point in hiding anything from them, they'll find out soon enough anyway. _"During the meeting, Rear Admiral Kahoku asked me to check on some of his marines on Edolus, in the Sparta system. We're already headed there now."

"You expecting trouble out there Shepard?" Zero asked, having picked up on something in her voice that made him wonder if she was expecting a 'warm reception'.

"Let's just say that I'm always on edge, especially when it comes to missing marines. Unless you think you need more time to adjust, I could be persuaded to take one of you along for the ride when we get there." _Let's just hope they don't feel the urge to puke if they end up riding shotgun in the Mako._

"That's alright Commander, we wouldn't want to get in the way. Thanks for the offer though." Just a flicker of a smile appeared on X's face as he nodded his appreciation.

Shepard just shrugged as she turned to leave them be for now. "Can't say I didn't give you a chance to get a little 'fresh air'. And Liara...try to keep it to thirty questions a day, maximum. Alright?"

Liara surprised Shepard by lightly shaking her head 'No', and casting a quick glance towards the two Reploids. "No promises Shepard. They are after all unique, and living legends in their own right."

"Aww stop Doc, you're making me blush!" Zero rubbed at his metallic chin for a moment. "If I _could _blush that is."

"Zero…." X sighed again, tempted to leave the two alone after all.

"In all seriousness Doc, Shepard, I don't mind the questions, it kinda reminds me of home. Anyway, good luck down there." Zero waved off Shepard, getting a mild glare from X, before he went back to his brooding.

"Thanks." With a final nod to Liara, Jen left the small med bay only to be stopped by her ship's CMO, Doctor Chakwas. "What's on your mind Karin?"

"You've done a very noble thing, taking those two boys in Commander. My only concern is that they might be suffering from extreme Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and not even realize it, if their own admission of being in a century long war is to be believed. Be careful should you decide to take them out with you in the future. We have no idea just how far advanced their abilities are, or what it might take to reign them in should it become necessary." She had nothing against the Reploids because they were synthetic beings. If she hadn't known any better, she'd have said they were human by their very polite natures. Not to mention that, minus her processing unit, the rest of Alia's remains were currently laid out on a spare bed in her med bay, almost reverentially covered in a spare white sheet by the door to the storage room. Such actions confirmed their sentient natures to the elderly woman.

"Duly noted Doc." Karin cocked an eyebrow as her ever confident CO seem to hesitate for a moment. "I know it's a lot to ask...but you always have a way with people. Maybe you could talk with them a little, once they get settled in. If anyone could get the truth out of them, it'd probably be you or Liara."

Chakwas gave a solemn nod, having already expected Jennifer to make the request. "I was planning on doing just that Shepard. I promise I'll be as discreet as possible, God knows they don't need anything else upsetting them for the time being."

"I can't begin to imagine what they're thinking right now." Waking up in a world far beyond your own; there was no way to predict how anyone would react to such a change. Finding out all you knew was not even dust on the wind? How would one even _begin _to reconcile that? "Bastard actually expected me to hand them over for 'analyses and deconstruction'." Jennifer shuddered at the thought of what X and Zero might have done if she hadn't made it clear to the Rear Admiral that the remains a few meters away weren't available for 'study' either. _I doubt an entire company could have stopped those two. Not without some serious firepower behind them anyway._

"Hmm, well Mihalovich certainly isn't the most tactful man I ever met. Some might even call him a pompous ass. For the record Commander, I know you made the right decision." It wasn't hard for Karin to see where Shepard's thoughts had gone as she stared at the white sheeted form. "You'll get them through this Jennifer, we all will."

"Going from almost being killed by a machine, a couple dozen times over, to giving a damn about three of them. It's been a Hell of a day." Subtly glancing over her shoulder, Jennifer was sure she saw a pair of guilty green eyes staring at her from the nearby room before the door was shut quickly. She only shook her head, not at all surprised that X at least had been trying to listen in, most likely out of an innocent curiosity if she were any judge. _I bet he feels as awkward as I do right now...screw that. _Jennifer quickly walked over to the door waved her hand over the controls. "You know X, if you wanted to look around, all you had to do was ask. Come on, I'll give you the ten credit tour."

"Um...thank you Commander Shepard." If he could have blushed, Jen was sure X's cheeks would have been beet red as he hesitantly stepped out of the storage room. "I didn't want to impose, since you have people depending on you."

"First off, we aren't there yet, and second of all, you can't stay in that room all the time X. I can't begin to imagine what you're thinking right now, but far as I can figure, getting you two out and seeing some of the crew, and letting _them_ see you, is a good idea." Jennifer snapped her fingers as she pointed to Zero. "Come on Red, you're getting the tour too, and I know just where to start..."

The two Reploids just gave each other wary glances before they followed her out. Other than a few harsh words from Navigator Pressly about the dangers of allowing synthetics to roam the deck, everyone else had seemed genuinely curious about the interesting duo. One crew member had even asked Zero if he could tell her how he kept his long mane of blonde hair looking so good. "Um...ah, lots of brushing? I wouldn't use a steel brush though, if I were you." His caring little warning actually got a chuckle out of the crewmen, and a few of her fellow technicians as well.

Getting X and Zero's attention, a wide grin was plastered on Jen's face as she spoke up. "Okay, humor me for a second guys, would you? Just do what I do." _Time for some fun... Joker's gonna shit a brick. _Shepard proceeded to stomp her feet as she marched down towards the cockpit, trying to make as much noise as possible. X hesitantly followed Shepard's example, while Zero fell in immediately behind the Commander, a wide and mischievous grin on his face the whole way.

"Hey Commander, you going to put on a little show for me ag- SHIT!" Joker had turned in his seat, expecting to see an irritated Shepard stomping up to him. Instead, he was focused on the two giant machines rapidly approaching him. "Oh this can't be good..." The pilot managed not to flinch as Shepard and her new 'squad' came to a halt less than a meter from him. "You're the two new guys I've been hearing about?" He asked nervously, his green eyes wide as saucers as he considered the best way to get away. The only option was spacing himself, and that wasn't exactly a promising way out.

X immediately put his hands out in a placating gesture, much to the annoyance of Shepard and Zero. "Hello, Flight Lieutenant Moreau. Sorry if I frightened you, your Commander has a strange sense of humor it seems."

"Damn it buddy, you just had to go and ruin the good times." Zero crossed his arms and shook his head at his ever predictably decent friend. _Although, I wouldn't have him any other way. You can always rely on X to get the job done if I don't do it first._

"Gee...thanks X." Jennifer growled, as she sighed at the giant grin on Joker's face. "And now you've made a new friend, congratulations. Joker, try not to corrupt him _too_ much." _God help us all. The last thing I need is another 'Joker' on my crew._

Jeff absently rubbed at his still annoying smooth chin, as his eyes gleamed with devious delight. "X huh? So what does that make Goldilocks over there?"

The red Reploid's normally cool and calm nature was shattered when Joker's nickname sunk in. "Goldilocks?! My name is Zero!"

Joker's snarky laughter wasn't the response Zero had been looking for. "Ha. Good one Goldi. No really, what's your name?"

If not for the fact he had sworn long ago to protect humanity and Reploid kind, Zero wasn't sure if he would have been able to keep himself in check as he glared at the sarcastic pilot in front of him. "Apparently you're hearing impaired. I said my name is Zero."

Jeff made an exaggerated 'Ah' sound as he nodded in understanding. "Zilch, got it."

Interrupting before things could get any worse, especially at the worried look X was throwing her way, Jennifer stepped in. "Joker….you do realize that if they decided to, I probably wouldn't be able to stop them from tearing you a new asshole right?" At the slightly embarrassed look from X, Jennifer was quick to correct herself. "Well, I wouldn't be able to stop Zero anyway."

"Got it. Zero, that's your name, I won't wear it out. You sure they're synthetics Commander? Last I checked I thought they had flashlight heads, or did I miss the memo where the geth decided to go Cylon on us?"

With a smirk, Shepard gestured for X to lean down so she could whisper something to him. A confused look appeared on his face before he nodded his agreement. "Um...by your command? What does that mean exactly?"

"Stick around Blue and I'll be happy to explain it to ya." A chuckling Joker pointed to the open spot next to him. "Why don't we just have a Terminator marathon on movie night while we're at it Commander? I'm sure it won't give them _any _ideas." Jennifer could only sigh as she walked away, all the while wondering if leaving them with Joker had been a good idea after all.

_End Notes; Vergil1989; This idea came about when I accidentally discovered that there was a PSP remake of the original Megaman X game. Add on top of that a fan film of the original Rockman before he became the X we all know and love, and you get this crazy idea._

_Archer83; Even though I knew next to nothing about Mega Guy...err Man X, at the beginning of this little project, Vergil talked me into learning about the characters just for this fic. I personally am very happy at the results of our work thus far. Hell, I barely knew who Alia was, but that didn't stop me from tearing up when we introduced her._

_Vergil1989; As for Axl, the last member of the S Rank team of Maverick Hunters, I like him but not as much as I like X and Zero. Besides that, having the entire team together seemed a little too coincidental, especially with Reapers dropping in every fifty thousand years. The fact their little hideout wasn't discovered for so long is stretching things a bit lol, but I think it turned out alright regardless. Anyway, feedback is always welcome. Adios and have a good night!_


End file.
